Air powered toys have proven to be extremely popular and as a result have been provided in a variety of configurations and designs. Such toys have included projectile launchers, toy guns, simulated rockets and launchers, as well as target games of different types. One of the popular types of air powered toys are found in toy rocket launchers which utilize a burst of air derived from a collapsible air bellows which is struck abruptly such as by the user's hand or foot to generate a burst of air power. While the designs of such toy rocket launchers vary substantially, most often an elastic collapsible air bellows is coupled to an elongated cylindrical hollow launch tube by a flexible hose or tube. A rocket defines an elongated cylindrical body which is received upon the launch tube and defines a closed end for captivating and harnessing the air burst produced within the launch tube as the user collapses the bellows.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,993,297 issued Bednar, et al. sets forth a TOY ROCKET having an elastic spherical bulb coupled to an elongated hollow cylindrical launch tube by a flexible hollow hose. The launch tube is held by the child user and the bulb is rested upon the play surface at the child's feet. A cylindrical closed end rocket is received upon the launch tube and is launched as the child rapidly collapses the bulb using a foot stepping action and driving compressed air into the launch tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,076,006 issued to Breslow, et al. sets forth a TOY ROCKET WITH PNEUMATIC LAUNCHER having a planar base supporting a collapsible bellows and a pivotally supported launch tube defining a generally cylindrical hollow structure which is coupled to the bellows by a flexible tube. Means are providing for pivoting the launch tube to change launch angle and a soft foam toy rocket having a closed end bore defined therein is received upon and launched from the launch tube as the bellows is struck.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,242,323 issued to Rappaport sets forth an AIR PULSE POWERED TOY BOW AND ARROW SET having a launching toy resembling a crossbow and supporting a movable piston together with a spring piston drive. The piston is movable within a cylinder which is coupled to a launch tube upon which a cylindrical soft foam arrow is received. Simulated crossbow limbs are secured to the toy to provide the appearance of crossbow action.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,249 issued to Fogarty, et al. sets forth a TOY GLIDER WITH PNEUMATIC LAUNCHER having a launcher supported upon a bracelet and having a squeezable air bulb coupled thereto. The bracelet is worn upon the user's wrist such that the air bulb is received within the user's palm and the cylindrical launch tube extends forwardly above the user's wrist. A toy glider defines a cylindrical bore received upon the launch tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,159,705 issued to Jacoby sets forth a TOY PROJECTILE LAUNCHING DEVICE having a hollow cylindrical launch tube within which a projectile is received. An expandable air reservoir such as a balloon is coupled to the cylindrical bore and is inflated by a squeezable handheld bulb. A valve operates to direct the compressed air within the reservoir into the barrel to launch the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,146 issued to Rasmussen, et al. sets forth a PROJECTILE PROPELLING ATTACHMENT FOR TOY FIGURES securable to a toy figure and having a spring launch projectile coupled to a flexible tether. The tether is drawn rearwardly loading the projectile into the launcher and-compressing a launch spring. Thereafter, the spring force is released against the projectile launching it.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,022,779 issued to Benkoe sets forth TOY GUNS having one or more cylindrical barrels within which a projectile is stored. Each cylindrical barrel includes a breach which receives a collapsible bellows. As the gun is cocked, the bellows are compressed providing a charge of compressed air which is released into the barrel for launching the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,046,694 issued to Holderer sets forth a JET PROPELLED TOY ARRANGEMENT having a base member supporting an upwardly extending launch tube upon which a toy rocket is received. The toy rocket defines an interior cavity supporting a liquid material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,709,495 issued to Krombein sets forth MOVABLE TARGETS AND VARIABLE ANGLE PROJECTOR having a spring-loaded shoulder supported projectile launcher which receives and launches projectiles at an angle determined by the user toward an array of targets.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,949,518 issued to Lenza sets forth a MISSILE LAUNCHING TOY in which twirling the body in one hand causes rotation of a head within a cylinder by an angularly disposed counterweight fixed to the head but extending outside the cylinder. The whirling action provides stored energy by compressing a spring to launch the missile upon release.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,329,808 issued to Rich, et al. sets forth a PAPER AIRPLANE MAKING AND LAUNCHING DEVICE in which a compressed air bellows launcher and launch tube are supported within a housing having a pair of pivotally secured folding dies which receive a tubular airplane fuselage upon the launch tube and a sheet of paper which is folded about the launch tube to form a paper airplane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,819 issued to LaFata sets forth a TARGET BUBBLE GENERATION AND TARGET SHOOTING SYSTEM having a center bellows secured to a housing defining a bubble liquid reservoir and a pair of pivotally supported arms secured to the housing and extending on either side of the collapsible bellows. As the user collapses the bellows by forcing the arms pivotally inward, air pressure is produced which is used in forming and launching a plurality of bubbles.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,345 issued to Inoue sets forth a TOY ASSEMBLY WITH SELECTIVE PROPULSION OF SUBCOMPONENTS forming a vehicle capable of launching or ejecting subcomponents using air pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 315,759 issued to Zacuto, et al. sets forth a SIMULATIVE DART GUN.
A SPACE ROCKET TOY manufactured by the Dur-Ever Company in Miami, Florida includes a cylindrical housing supporting a conical capsule at the upper end thereof and a collapsible bellows at the remaining end. As the user collapses the bellows, air pressure is forced upwardly through the cylindrical housing to launch the conical satellite member.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have provided improvement in the art and in some instances have enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved economical, easy to manufacture and low cost toy projectile launching devices.